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PathFinder Online
Welcome to PathFinder Online, a campaign based off of Sword Art Online that pits the players as themselves playing a virtual reality MMORPG! Players will form an Adventuring Party to go on quests, travel the extensive world, and battle against other aspiring users.
Features of the campaign include:
Not Logged In – no more creating contrived reasons for absent party members, if a player cannot make it to a session, then that player simply had to do something else and couldn’t log in!
A Turn Timer – while PFO retains the turn-based initiative system, there is a time limit of 1 minute for players to determine their actions to smooth over game-play.
Party Play – users that play together receive a streamlined gaming experience. A leader is selected to dole out treasure and experience is automatically divided up amongst the players.
Languages Matter – learning languages allows users to use the language-specific chat area. Parties are encouraged to all use a certain language to convey messages secretly.
Designated Rest Areas – to avoid having to actually rest the entire eight hours, certain areas (sometimes hidden!) are present that allow users to receive the recharging they need to continue adventuring. But be warned, these areas can also be a hotspot for danger.
Meta-Gaming – players are encouraged to meta-game; to an extent. Character stats, min/maxing, monster knowledge; all are information that players are free to share. However, due to the immersive VR technology, players cannot look up information regarding things outside of their character during gameplay.
Random Events – special events occur that may bestow rare and unique items on players, though some are only for a limited time. Who wouldn’t want to wield the fabled Keyblade or wear the legendary Nemean Lion pelt?
Easy Shopping – no more rolling up or checking what items are available, if it’s in the game the players can buy and sell it! However, players cannot use items valued outside a level-dependent price-range. You won’t see level 1 players bearing +5 swords or wands of Cloudkill.
Features that I know will need some work include:
Bluff/Sense Motive/Diplomacy - in a majority user-based world, how would these skills function? How would one user know if another was lying? I don't want these skills to become useless, or even just relegated to soley 'extra dialouge options for NPCs'...
Looking Up Game Information - what if the players decide they want to look online for information regarding dungeons and adventures they are going on? I still want adventures to be surprising and challenge them, but also want a good reason that they can't just use the internet to look stuff up.
Would love to know what you all think of it, and any suggestions or changes you think would work out!
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That's actually pretty neat.
As for bluff/sense motive/diplomacy, they can still work the same. I mean many rpg give you choices on how to interact with npc, it could just be skill included in your characters vs the AI code of the NPC.
Anime to take inspiration from beside Sword Art Online:
-Log Horizon
-.Hack
- Greed Island story arc (Hunter x Hunter go for new version)
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Dotting.
If you are facing an issue with players using social skills on NPC PCs, if I understand your problem you ar facing, either-
A.) Make such characters unaffected with social skills and make players roleplay interaction.
B.) Have players keep two sheets, one their online character, the other themselves as rolled by their fellow players.
Sense motive is a pass fail. When an NPC is talking, you either see a window which says "Lying" or "Truth", or the window never appears and it's anybody's guess.
Selecting a statement in talking with NPCs, some options will automatically apply bluff or diplomacy.
The turn timer should be adjustable by a majority vote. If everyone is using their laptops, at work, during the graveyard shift, the turn counter should allow up to a half hour.
Sense motive is a pass fail. When an NPC is talking, you either see a window which says "Lying" or "Truth", or the window never appears and it's anybody's guess.
Selecting a statement in talking with NPCs, some options will automatically apply bluff or diplomacy.
The turn timer should be adjustable by a majority vote. If everyone is using their laptops, at work, during the graveyard shift, the turn counter should allow up to a half hour.
I think the issue the OP was having though was with 'PC NPCs', not 'NPC NPCs'. Using Diplomacy as is seems fine when you are talking to John the Smith or Rorgar the King, but what happens when you meet Katmaster 4445? Your virtual character's stats won't matter as much then unless you plan to give a minor debuff to the other 'PC.'
I played in a PbP based on Sword Art Online but it didn't utilize too many actual mechanical changes that I was aware of before I had to drop out.
I like your approach so far...
Note that the game is going the Virtual Reality perspective, so people would NOT be able to play during work/grave-shift/whatever. My play group typically does a lot of strategizing in combat, which is good, but it also tends to slow things down. I think the minute-turn-timer is a good feature that will speed up combat and mix up their usual mode; and make them pay more attention!
In regards to Bluff/Sense Motive: You have it right OmNomNid, its the NPCs that are actually PCs in the game that I am pondering; I figured I would use typical strategies for NPCs that are actually NPCs.
Since the game IS in VR, I was wondering if I could use that to my flavor advantage and say that the sensors monitoring mental activity are able to reveal things like someone lying or hiding information. Additionally, successful Diplomacy checks would create positive mental reactions to what the PC says; not completely forcing someone's opinion, but nudging it towards a more favorable response (as Diplomacy should be)
Note that the game is going the Virtual Reality perspective, so people would NOT be able to play during work/grave-shift/whatever. My play group typically does a lot of strategizing in combat, which is good, but it also tends to slow things down. I think the minute-turn-timer is a good feature that will speed up combat and mix up their usual mode; and make them pay more attention!
In regards to Bluff/Sense Motive: You have it right OmNomNid, its the NPCs that are actually PCs in the game that I am pondering; I figured I would use typical strategies for NPCs that are actually NPCs.
Since the game IS in VR, I was wondering if I could use that to my flavor advantage and say that the sensors monitoring mental activity are able to reveal things like someone lying or hiding information. Additionally, successful Diplomacy checks would create positive mental reactions to what the PC says; not completely forcing someone's opinion, but nudging it towards a more favorable response (as Diplomacy should be)
Could work but not as fun as making people keep track of both their character sheet and their personal sheet.
Could you elaborate a little more on what their personal character sheet would be?
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I was confused. I thought you were talking about an actual online game. What you really are talking about is a 2 tier game. Players and a GM roleplaying people (optionally themselves, but in the far future) playing a virtual reality game. If I played it, I would have to create a far future me, who's mental stats would have important impact on the virtual game. As a maintenance person(Janitor) I would metagame that soap is poisonous to oozes and jellys, and that cleaning reduces the chance of contacting diseases. As a fan of MLP gen 12 I would notice a unicorn was polymorphed into a cow or something.
No, robots would not be able to get into corners and would need me to refill their cleaning fluids reservoirs. A Roomba cannot vacuum shelves.
It wouldn't be far-future, it would be as though a company in a year or two suddenly came out with groundbreaking VR technology,so players would be 'role-playing' basically themselves as they are now.
If you are not creating intermediate characters, you all just role play putting on the gear, then leaving the designated safe part of town? Is it the same time of day in the game? It might seem more immediate if you playtest it using video conferencing.